Queensland's most notorious sex offender freed

by emcbryde

Emma McBryde
Journalist

Although born and bred in Rockhampton, I’m still learning more and more about the people and community every day. We have a community filled with both inspirational locals and people who have been hard done by. I enjoy telling their tales and hopefully using my position to right the wrongs.

QUEENSLAND'S most notorious sex offender will be released from prison after Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie's barrister could offer no evidence Robert John Fardon planned to escape his supervised accommodation.

A sex offender living in the same Wacol accommodation told authorities Fardon's round-the-clock curfew was frustrating him.

Mr Bleijie wanted to have Fardon's release order tightened or have him returned to prison.

But Jonathan Horton, acting for the Attorney-General, today conceded in the Brisbane Supreme Court the man who tipped off corrective services officers was "unreliable".

One officer who assessed Fardon's fellow sex offender said he was "grandiose in his role of snitch … he figures himself quite the underworld figure".

Despite the man's claims, the court heard he was not asked to make a written statement and later refused to co-operate with authorities.

Fardon, who was born in Murwillumbah, has spent most of his adult life in prison for the rapes of women and children.
He is expected to be returned to the Wacol Precinct.

After the decision was made to release Fardon, Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie said the convicted sex offender would wear a GPS tracker and be kept on prison grounds under a 24-hour curfew.

He said prison officers had done the right thing by acting "quickly and appropriately" to claims Fardon was plotting to escape the prison.

The failure of the informant to give evidence to the court, leaving the Supreme Court to order the prisoner's release.

"We share the community's frustration when dangerous offenders are released and we will always fight to ensure they are kept away from the community," Mr Bleijie said.

"The Government promised families that it would make this state the safest place to raise a family and Queensland now has the strongest anti-sex offender legislation in Australia following extensive reforms.

The Government is also reviewing the state's dangerous offender legislation with a view to strengthening it further."

Fardon will return to his strict supervision order, which includes living in accommodation on correctional centre grounds, a 24-hour curfew and wearing a GPS tracker.